Despair will your grace with me to Hainault,

And there stay time's advantage with your son?
How say you, my lord, will you go with your friends,
And shake off all our fortunes equally?

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Prince. So pleaseth1 the queen, my mother, me it likes:

The king of England, nor the court of France,
Shall have me from my gracious mother's side,
Till I be strong enough to break a staff;

And then have at the proudest Spencer's head.

Sir J. Well said, my lord.

Queen. O, my sweet heart, how do I moan thy wrongs,

Yet triumph in the hope of thee, my joy!

Ah, sweet Sir John! even to the utmost verge
Of Europe, or 2 the shore of Tanais,

We will with thee to Hainault-so we will :-
The marquis is a noble gentleman;

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His

grace, I dare presume, will welcome me. But who are these?

Enter KENT and YOUNG MORTIMER.

Kent. Madam, long may you live,

Much happier than your friends in England do!

Queen. Lord Edmund and Lord Mortimer alive! Welcome to France! the news was here, my lord, That you were dead, or very near your death.

1 Mr. Fleay reads "please," supposing that the letters th are repeated from the next word.

2 Dyce's correction " on seems to be quite unnecessary.

Y. Mor. Lady, the last was truest of the twain:
But Mortimer, reserved for better hap,
Hath shaken off the thraldom of the Tower,
And lives t' advance your standard, good my lord.

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Prince. How mean you? and the king, my father, lives! No, my Lord Mortimer, not I, I trow.

Queen. Not, son; why not? I would it were no

worse.

But, gentle lords, friendless we are in France.

Y. Mor. Monsieur le Grand, a noble friend of yours, Told us, at our arrival, all the news;

How hard the nobles, how unkind the king

Hath showed himself; but, madam, right makes room 50
Where weapons want; and, though so many friends
Are made away, as Warwick, Lancaster,

1

And others of our party 1 and faction;

Yet have we friends, assure your grace, in England
Would cast up caps, and clap their hands for joy,

To see us there, appointed 2 for our foes.

Kent. Would all were well, and Edward well reclaimed,

For England's honour, peace, and quietness.

Y. Mor. But by the sword, my lord, 't must be de

served;3

The king will ne'er forsake his flatterers.

Sir J. My lords of England, sith th' ungentle king Of France refuseth to give aid of arms

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1 Dyce needlessly reads "part."

2 Equipped to meet our foes.

3 Earned.

To this distressèd queen his sister here,

Go you with her to Hainault; doubt ye not,
We will find comfort, money, men and friends
Ere long, to bid the English king a base.1

How say, young prince? what think you of the match?
Prince. I think King Edward will outrun us all.
Queen. Nay, son, not so; and you must not dis-

courage

Your friends, that are so forward in your aid.

Kent. Sir John of Hainault, pardon us, I pray; These comforts that you give our woful queen

Bind us in kindness all at your command.

Queen. Yea, gentle brother; and the God of heaven Prosper your happy motion, good Sir John.

Y. Mor. This noble gentleman, forward in arms, Was born, I see, to be our anchor-hold.

Sir John of Hainault, be it thy renown,

That England's queen, and nobles in distress,
Have been by thee restored and comforted.

Sir. J. Madam, along, and you my lord[s], with me, That England's peers may Hainault's welcome see.

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80

[Exeunt.

1 An allusion to the game of Prisoner's Base. To "bid a base " is for a player to run into the centre and challenge one of the opposite party to pursue.

SCENE III.

Enter the KING, ARUNDEL,2 the two SPENCERS, with others.

Edw. Thus after many threats of wrathful war,
Triumpheth England's Edward with his friends;
And triumph, Edward, with his friends uncontrolled !
My lord of Gloucester, do you hear the news?
Y. Spen. What news, my lord?

Edw. Why, man, they say there is great execution
Done through the realm; my lord of Arundel,
You have the note, have you not?

Arun.3 From the lieutenant of the Tower, my lord.

Now, on my life, they'll neither bark nor bite.

Now, sirs, the news from France? Gloucester, I trow, The lords of France love England's gold so well,

As Isabella 5 gets no aid from thence.

What now remains; have you proclaimed, my lord,
Reward for them can bring in Mortimer ?

1 Scene: the royal palace, London.

2 Old eds. "Matr." and "Matreuis.”—The elder Spencer is a muta persona. Mr. Fleay, who ousts him altogether from this scene, observes "There is no hint of Old Spencer being on the stage after the third act,"-strangely forgetting that he is introduced in the fifth scene of the present act.

3 Old eds. "Matr."

4 So ed. 1598.-Eds. 1612, 1622, "not long ago."

5 Old eds. "Isabell."

Y. Spen. My lord, we have; and if he be in England, 'A will be had ere long, I doubt it not.

Edw. If, dost thou say? Spencer, as true as death, He is in England's ground; our portmasters

Are not so careless of their king's command.

Enter a Messenger.

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How now, what news with thee? from whence come these?

Mes. Letters, my lord, and tidings forth of France, To you, my lord of Gloucester, from Levune.

Edw. Read.

[SPENCER reads the letter.]

"My duty to your honour premised, &c., I have, according to instructions in that behalf, dealt with the King of France his lords, and effected, that the queen, all discontented and discomforted, is gone. Whither, if you ask, with Sir John of Hainault, brother to the marquis, into Flanders: with them are gone Lord Edmund, and the Lord Mortimer, having in their company divers of your nation, and others; and, as constant report goeth, they intend to give King Ed ward battle in England, sooner than he can look for them: this is all the news of import.

Your honour's in all service, LEVUNE." 36

Edw. Ah, villains! hath that Mortimer escaped?
With him is Edmund gone associate?

And will Sir John of Hainault lead the round?
Welcome, a God's name, madam, and your son;
England shall welcome you and all your rout.
Gallop apace1 bright Phoebus, through the sky,

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1 Cf. Romeo and Juliet, iii. 2:-"Gallop apace you fiery-footed steeds," &c.

VOL. II.

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